Sharp freezing container



"fa sharp freezing container .metallic ice-cube trays.

UNITED sri-Aras PATE-NT .OFFICE LLOYD G.

COPEMAN, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 COPEMAN LABORATORIES COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF;MICIIIGAN SHARP FREEZING CONTAINER Application led Aug'usi:l 20, 1928. `Serial No. 300,713.

This invention relates to a sharp.freezing cont-ainer and method of forming s'am'e. has to do particularly with. ice-cube trays such as are used in domestic refrigerating units, and more particularly with theI grid or partitions of said trays which define the ice-cube chambers. A

As is ywell known, it is a very .difficult and messy, operation to remove ice-cubes from made to solve this problem, and in my Patent No. 1,675,599 of July 3,- 1928 I have disclosed formed of flexible material, preferably rubber.'

i The present inventlon relates specifically to the grid structure of a sharp freezing container. In the preferred embodiment of this invention the grids or partitions are preferably 'completely separate from the outer container and said grids or partitions are pref erably formed ofiat rubber'or lsimilar iiexibley stock. l'

The formation of a molded grid structure,

, such as shown in my prior patent, above menloutside defining walls. lcome this objection be practically as expensive an the formingof the complete the integral partitions and the In order to over- I have conceived a method of fabricating and assembling the grid structure from fiat stock.

\ In carrying out this method I prefer to take flat strips of rubber, preferably relatively thin, and so fabricate these strips of rubber (which are, of course, cut to length) so that the different strips of rubber may be easilyinteriitted together to form a complete grid structure adapted to be placed as a"unit in the outer supporting container.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ice-cube tray formed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe assembled tray as removed from its container.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illus-- trating the'invention as embodied in a double tioned, would operation as tray; that is,

Attempts have been v celerate the freezing of the ice cubes.

material to which water does not row oft-rays instead of a triple row of trays. y Fig.. 5 is a detail perspective view of a single strip of rubber for forming a lengthwise strip or'strips of the grid -and illustrate ing the preferred manner of. -fabricating the'- same. y 4 Fig.v 6 is a perspective view of a transversev strip of rubber and slotted so as to cooperate with the' punched holes in the lengthwise strips of rubber. i

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 6, illustrating a type of transverse strips adapted to be used in such grids as shown 1n Fig. 4:.

While the rubber tray` as shown in my Patent No. 1,67 5,599 completely solves the roblem of ice-cube removal, it is open to ob- ]ection in that it requires a slightly longer time to freeze the ice cubes than in the standard metal container. It is the object of the present invention to make use of the rubberV to permit easy removal of the ice cubes and to at the same time take'adva-ntage of metall as a good conductor whereby to assist or alc- I preferably form the conmemberof metal and form of rubber or other readily accomplish this tainer or outside the grid or inner partitions adhere,

lTo overcome the expensive operation of molding a separate grid structure I preferably form such grid structure of independent but readily The invention may assembled strips. p

be best understood by first describing the method of assembly. As is shown in Fig. 5, I preferably take a flat strip of standard rubber 1, relatively thin, and stamp out suitable apertures 2 therein, said apertures preferably being rectangular and extending ytransversely of the strip 1.

I then take a plurality of transverse strips of rubber 3 and cut out suitable notches 4 and 5 therein, depending upon the width of said transverse strips 3 andthe number of rows of ice-cube chambers to be formed.

For forming two rows of ice-cube chambers of course itwill be rnecessary to have a very small transverse strip 6 such as is shown 1n Fig.`7, and a single set ofslots 7. In this vtorted or folded-upon'itse'lf so as to be in- C to the strip 1.

sertable through one of the apertures 2 in -Y the strip '1, when, of course, the distorted portion may be released and allowed to move to normal position whereby the strip 3 will be held in assembled relation with reference rThis same procedure, of course,`,may :befollo'wed with reference to the other`end of the-strip' so that theV entire grid structure may be built up by successively inserting the transverse strips into assembled relation with the fabricated longitudinal strips. r

, -When all the transverse strips have been assembled it will be obvious that a unitary y grid structure is formed, all of the partitions .or Walls of which are preferably fieXible and even elastic, and that when so assembled the method .of assembly acts to reinforce and form a unitary grid structure so that it may be Veasily inserted in place within its container. This is particularly so in grids having a plurality of longitudinal strips.

The grids assembled by this novel method 'are preferably adapted to be positioned within the containers which of course correspond -to the size of the particular grid. These containers are preferably formed; 0f metal such asis shown at 8 in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby to effect rapid transmission of the heat units between the lowside of the refrigerating system and the liquid Within the container unit. The removal of the grid and frozen cubes of ice from the main container is a fairlyy simple matter and when the grid with its solid cubes of ice' is once removed it is only a matter of quickly snapping or pushing the ice cubes from the grid structure, thus completely eliminating all the melting effect which has heretofore been necessary in the removing of ice cubes from metal grids.

It will thus be seen that I have not only .provided a novel .grid structure for sharp freezing containers, but have conceived of a novel method of fabricating and assembling the same whereby such v'grid structure may oo ,be'very uiclrly and 'cheaply fabricated" and assemble from flat rubber strip stock,l which `of course can be purchased very cheaply. `-Eurtherlnorfe,fthe grade of rubber required 'may be much inferior to the grade required whenthe entire tray is molded from rubber, as vrif 'theeiitire trays were molded from rubor any other color of rubber.`

ber any discoloration of the outer wall of the tray would be objectionable. In the present case, however, there would be no objection to the discoloration in the grid and furthermore it would be possible to use even black What I claim is:

1. .A sharp freezing container of a type adapted to be positioned in heat-conducting relation with the lowside of a mechanical re frigerating system, comprising a container formed of metal, and a removable unitary grid structure formed of non-metallic liexible material and adapted to b,e positioned within said metallic container.

2. A grid structure for sharp freezing containers, comprising a plurality of interconnected partitions formed of flat strips of rubber, said partitions or flat strips being removable but normally so connected as t0 form a unitary grid structure.

3. A grid structure for sharp freezing containers, comprising a plurality of partitions formed of flat strips of rubber, at least one of said partitions having an aperture therein, and another of said partitions having a pair of spaced slots therein, a portion of the latter partition engaging the former parti' tion in the said aperture, and the former par tition engaging the latter partition in the said slots to interconnect the said partitions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN 

